Smart trigger-stops for videogame controllers

ABSTRACT

Videogame controllers with smart trigger stops may include: a housing including A trigger, the trigger movable along a path of travel; a sensor configured to detect the position of the trigger and to generate a signal representing trigger position; a processor configured to interpret signals generated by the sensor and cause an output signal to be transmitted to a gaming console; a trigger-stop that is movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position, the trigger-stop in the disengaged position allowing the trigger to move along the entire path of travel, the trigger-stop in the engaged position blocking the trigger from moving along the entire path of travel; and a switch coupled with the housing and the trigger-stop, wherein movement of the trigger-stop from the disengaged position to the engaged position flips the switch and causes the processor to map received signals to generated signals in a different manner.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE TO ANY PRIORITY APPLICATIONS

Any and all applications for which a foreign or domestic priority claimis identified in the Application Data Sheet as filed with the presentapplication are hereby incorporated by reference under 37 CFR 1.57.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to videogame controllers, andmore particularly various embodiments disclosed herein relate totrigger-stop technologies for videogame controllers.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Modern videogames have become increasingly complex, and so too have thecontrollers used to play them. Videogame controllers often include aplurality of buttons, paddles, thumb-sticks, joysticks, wheels, pads,triggers and/or dials (collectively referred to herein as “controls”)that may be pressed, pulled, turned or otherwise maneuvered by a user toactivate various functions within the videogame being played. As thecontrols are maneuvered, electrical signals are generated by thecontroller circuitry and transmitted to the gaming console (e.g.,Microsoft Xbox 360®, Sony PS4®, Nintendo Wii®, and/or any othercomputing device, etc.). The console interprets the signals andeffectuates the operations or functionality within the videogame thatcorrespond to the control(s) that were pressed by the user.

Some controls are configured to generate signals in accordance with astep-function (i.e., a binary approach), while others generate a signalin accordance with a gradient (i.e., a continuous approach). Forexample, buttons generally generate signals in accordance with an on-offor step-function approach (e.g., signal output when pressed “on” and nosignal output when “off”). Triggers and joysticks, on the other hand,often generate signals in accordance with a gradient so that the signalstrength gradually increases as the trigger is gradually pulled/pushedfurther in a given direction by the user (e.g., signal outputstrength/amplitude gradually increasing from 0% to 100% (of peak output)as the trigger is pulled from 0% (un-pulled) to 100% (fully-pulled)).The signal gradient can track trigger pull in accordance with a linear,nonlinear, exponential, or any other relationship. The way the signaloutput changes as the trigger is pulled back by a user will often bereferred to herein as the “mapping scheme” or “mapping profile.”

The signal gradient provided by gaming triggers and/or joysticks findsits use in functionality that calls for change by degrees, or gradualascents/descents of given functionality within the game. For instance,in a car racing videogame the triggers may be used to control the“throttle” of the car being driven by the player. Thus, instead of onlyhaving the option to fully activate or fully deactivate the throttle (aswould be the case if a button were to be used for this functionalityinstead of a trigger), a user may make finer adjustments to the throttleby pulling the trigger back to a greater or lesser degree, and therebychange the car's speed/acceleration to a greater or lesser degree, asdesired.

In some instances, however, triggers and/or joysticks are mapped tofunctions within the game that don't necessarily call for a signalgradient. For instance, often times in combat games the trigger of thecontroller is used as the trigger of the weapon the player is using inthe game. So, for example, although a gradually increasing signal may begenerated as the trigger is pulled further back by the user, the weapondoes not actually fire until the signal reaches a certain level (i.e.,the trigger is pulled back to or beyond a threshold distance, e.g., 90%of the travel path distance); thus, the user's pull of the trigger up tothat point doesn't activate any gaming functionality. Because of extratime that is wasted in pulling the trigger all the way back to thethreshold point each time weapon activation is desired, competitivegamers have expressed frustration that the time cost undermines theirperformance.

Though it is noteworthy that in some instances the trigger may notactually need to be pulled all the way back to activate the functiondesired (e.g., in games where the weapon fires as soon as the triggersignal reaches a certain activation threshold that is something lessthan 100% signal output, for instance, if signal strength ≥60% maximumsignal strength, the weapon fires), it is nevertheless a user's naturalinclination to pull the trigger all the way back (i.e., until it stopsor cannot be pulled any further) before releasing it. This is becausethe activation threshold may be different among some videogames, andbecause without haptic feedback of some sort it is very difficult for auser to determine how far back he/she has pulled the trigger at anygiven instant during a fast-paced game. As noted, the time it takes topull the trigger all the way back to activate a weapon is oftenconsidered wasted time by many gamers, and such time costs can undermineperformance in games where response time is crucial. Thus, competitivegamers have expressed an interest in “hair-trigger” type functionalityfor triggers used in such fast-paced and response-time intensive games.To meet this need, two basic solutions have emerged.

One solution is a trigger-button swap. That is, the triggers on thegaming controllers are replaced with simple buttons, thereby foregoingthe gradient styled mapping profile in favor of a button that need onlybe clicked by the tap of a finger in order to generate a signal at fullstrength (i.e., in a step-function manner). While this reduces theoverall time required to fire the weapon by reducing the distance theuser must press or pull the control for full activation (this distancealso referred to herein as the “travel path” or “path of travel”), itnevertheless comes with many disadvantages. One disadvantage of thisapproach is that it eliminates the gradient feature that is oftendesirable in other games (e.g., for racing games).

Another solution that has emerged is the use of a trigger-stop. Atrigger-stop is a mechanical device, often a screw or pin, that isplaced within the travel path of the trigger such that the trigger isstopped at some point before it reaches the end of the original travelpath as it is being pulled. This reduces the trigger's travel path (andthereby the time it takes to operate the trigger), but also comes withseveral drawbacks. One drawback is that the trigger may sometimes failto fire the weapon (or activate other functionality it is mapped to)because the signal generated by the trigger is diminished and may not beadequate to activate the functionality of a particular game. Forexample, assuming a linear mapping profile, if a trigger-stop was usedto limit a trigger so that it could only be pulled back to 50% of theoriginal travel path (such that a signal of only 50% the maximumstrength is produced—e.g., 0.5 my if the max strength is 1.0 mv), butthe videogame being played was programmed to fire the weapon only whenthe signal rose above 0.9 mv (i.e., signal strength >90% of the maxsignal in the above example), then the trigger-stop would prevent theuser from firing his/her weapon even if pulled all the way to thetrigger-stop. So the controller may work for some games, but not forothers.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE EMBODIMENTS

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a gamingcontroller implementing the disclosed technology may include: a housing;a trigger coupled with the housing, the trigger movable along a path oftravel; a sensor configured to detect the position of the trigger alongthe path of travel and to generate a signal representing triggerposition; a processor configured to interpret signals generated by thesensor and cause an output signal to be transmitted to a gaming console;a trigger-stop coupled with the housing, the trigger-stop movablebetween an engaged position and a disengaged position (the trigger-stopin the disengaged position allowing the trigger to move along the entirepath of travel, and the trigger-stop in the engaged position blockingthe trigger from moving along the entire path of travel); and/or aswitch coupled with the housing and the trigger-stop, wherein movementof the trigger-stop from the disengaged position to the engaged positionflips the switch from a first mode to a second mode, and movement of thetrigger-stop from the engaged position to the disengaged position flipsthe switch from the second mode to the first mode; and wherein theswitch in the first mode causes the processor to effectuate signalmapping and transmission in accordance with a first mapping profile, andthe switch in the second mode causes the processor to effectuate signalmapping and transmission in accordance with a second mapping profile.

In accordance with some embodiments, the trigger-stop may include alever (or slider, or other component) that extends through the housingsuch that the trigger-stop can be moved between the engaged position andthe disengaged position by moving the lever from a first lever positionto a second lever position. The trigger-stop may be coupled to a leverthat extends through the housing such that the trigger-stop can be movedbetween the engaged position and the disengaged position by moving thelever from a first lever position to a second lever position.

In accordance with some embodiments, the trigger-stop may be movedbetween the engaged position and the disengaged position by moving alonga track with which the trigger-stop is coupled. In accordance with someembodiments, the trigger-stop can be moved between the engaged positionand the disengaged position by rotating the trigger-stop about an axlewith which the trigger-stop is coupled.

In accordance with some embodiments, the switch includes a slider andthe trigger-stop includes an aperture within which the slider may be atleast partially disposed, and wherein the movement of the trigger-stopfrom the disengaged position to the engaged position causes the sliderto move from a first slider position to a second slider position, andwherein movement of the slider from the first slider position to thesecond slider position causes the switch to flip from the first mode tothe second mode.

In accordance with some embodiments, the path of travel along which thetrigger may be moved is defined, in part, by a trigger guide (which mayor may not be coupled with the housing). In some instances, movement ofthe trigger (or object coupled to the trigger) along the path of travelcauses the trigger guide to move, and the sensor may detect the positionof the trigger along the path of travel by detecting movements of thetrigger guide that correspond to the position of the trigger.

In accordance with some embodiments, the first mapping profile defines arelationship whereby a first signal generated by the sensor may bemapped to a transmission signal having an attribute with a first valuethat corresponds to the position of the trigger relative to the entiretravel path; and the second mapping profile defines a relationshipwhereby the first signal generated by the sensor may be mapped to atransmission signal having an attribute with a second value thatcorresponds to a trigger position different from the actual the positionof the trigger relative to the entire travel path.

In accordance with some embodiments, for a given signal generated by thesensor corresponding to the position of the trigger along the path oftravel, the signal transmitted to the console if generated in accordancewith the first mapping profile is different than the signal transmittedto the console if generated in accordance with the second mappingprofile.

Some embodiments of the present technology may be implemented as asystem comprising: a videogame console operatively coupled to a display;a videogame controller operatively coupled to the videogame console, thevideogame controller comprising: a housing; a trigger coupled with thehousing, the trigger movable along a path of travel; a sensor configuredto detect the position of the trigger along the path of travel and togenerate a signal representing trigger position; a processor configuredto interpret signals generated by the sensor and cause an output signalto be transmitted to the videogame console; a trigger-stop coupled withthe housing, the trigger-stop movable between an engaged position and adisengaged position, the trigger-stop in the disengaged positionallowing the trigger to move along the entire path of travel, thetrigger-stop in the engaged position blocking the trigger from movingalong the entire path of travel; and/or a switch coupled with thehousing and the trigger-stop, wherein movement of the trigger-stop fromthe disengaged position to the engaged position flips the switch from afirst mode to a second mode, and movement of the trigger-stop from theengaged position to the disengaged position flips the switch from thesecond mode to the first mode; wherein the switch in the first modecauses the processor to effectuate signal mapping and transmission inaccordance with a first mapping profile, and the switch in the secondmode causes the processor to effectuate signal mapping and transmissionin accordance with a second mapping profile.

Other features and aspects of the disclosed technology will becomeapparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, thefeatures in accordance with embodiments of the disclosed technology. Thesummary is not intended to limit the scope of any inventions describedherein, which are defined solely by the claims attached hereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The technology disclosed herein, in accordance with one or more variousembodiments, is described in detail with reference to the followingFigures. The drawings are provided for illustration purposes only andmerely depict typical or example embodiments of the disclosedtechnology. These drawings are provided to facilitate the reader'sunderstanding of the disclosed technology and shall not be consideredlimiting of the breadth, scope, or applicability thereof. It should benoted that for clarity and ease of illustration these drawings are notnecessarily made to scale.

Some of the Figures included herein illustrate various embodiments ofthe disclosed technology from different viewing angles. Although theaccompanying descriptive text may refer to such views as “top,” “bottom”or “side” views, such references are merely descriptive and do not implyor require that the disclosed technology be implemented or used in aparticular spatial orientation unless explicitly stated otherwise.

FIG. 1A illustrates a top perspective view of an example videogamecontroller including smart trigger-stops in accordance with one or moreembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1B illustrates a bottom perspective view of the example videogamecontroller depicted in FIG. 1A, in accordance with one or moreembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 illustrates a top perspective view of the example videogamecontroller shown in FIG. 1A, here depicted with a top portion of thehousing removed so as to expose various internal components relating tothe smart trigger-stop technology as implemented in accordance with oneor more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 illustrates a magnified view of various internal components shownin FIG. 2 and relating to the smart trigger-stop technology asimplemented in accordance with one or more embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 4A illustrates a magnified perspective side view of an exampletrigger and trigger-stop assembly in accordance with one or moreembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4B illustrates a magnified perspective aerial view of the exampletrigger and trigger-stop assembly depicted in FIG. 4A, in accordancewith one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4C illustrates a magnified perspective bottom view of the exampletrigger and trigger-stop assembly depicted in FIG. 4B, in accordancewith one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5A depicts an example first mapping profile (mapping relationship)and second mapping profile (mapping relationship) that may beimplemented in accordance with one or more embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 5B depicts an example first mapping profile (first mappingrelationship) and second mapping profile (second mapping relationship),here depicting a buffer zone that may be implemented in accordance withone or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5C depicts an example first mapping profile (mapping relationship)and second mapping profile (mapping relationship) that may beimplemented in accordance with one or more embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 6 illustrates a top perspective view of another example videogamecontroller, here depicted with a top portion of the housing removed soas to expose various internal components relating to the smarttrigger-stop technology as implemented in accordance with one or moreembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 illustrates a magnified view of various internal components shownin FIG. 6 and relating to the smart trigger-stop technology asimplemented in accordance with one or more embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 8A illustrates a magnified perspective side view of an exampletrigger and trigger-stop assembly in accordance with one or moreembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8B illustrates a magnified perspective aerial view of the exampletrigger and trigger-stop assembly depicted in FIG. 8A, in accordancewith one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8C illustrates a magnified perspective bottom view of the exampletrigger and trigger-stop assembly depicted in FIG. 8B, in accordancewith one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 illustrates an example system within which a videogame controllerincluding smart trigger-stops may be implemented in accordance with oneor more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 illustrates an example computing module that may be used toimplement various features of the systems and methods for transmittingdata between a remote device and a computing device as disclosed herein.

The Figures are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the inventionto the precise form disclosed. It should be understood that theinvention can be practiced with modification and alteration, and thatthe disclosed technology be limited only by the claims and theequivalents thereof.

The drawings and examples described herein are provided to facilitatethe reader's understanding of the disclosed technology, and shall not beconsidered limiting of the breadth, scope, or applicability of thepresent disclosure to variations or modifications upon the same that oneof ordinary skill in the art would appreciate upon review of thisdisclosure. It should also be noted that for clarity and ease ofillustration these drawings are not necessarily made to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure is directed toward smart trigger-stops andrelated systems and methods for altering or enhancing videogamecontroller performance. Embodiments of the disclosed technology includea mechanical trigger-stop that may be engaged by triggering an actuatoraccessible to a user on the exterior of controller (e.g., moving alever, a pin, a post, a slider, a knob, etc., touching a capacitive orother touch-sensitive switch, applying pressure to a squeeze switch, andso on). The controller may be configured such that triggering theactuator not only imposes a manual trigger-stop on the trigger, but canalso engage a trigger-stop mode of the controller. For example,triggering the actuator may actuate a switching mechanism (e.g., aswitch, relay, electronic signal, etc.), of the controller that imposesa different signal mapping scheme/profile from the scheme/profileapplied under normal operation (i.e., when the trigger-stop is notengaged). As another example, triggering the actuator may set a bit orotherwise signal a processor in the controller to apply a differentsignal mapping scheme/profile to the affected trigger.

That is, embodiments may be implemented such that actuating thetrigger-stop not only reduces the amount the trigger may be pulledbefore being stopped (e.g., to afford quicker response times), but alsomodifies the signal mapping scheme/profile (i.e., a trigger-stop mode)so that the controller can generate a signal of sufficient strength (orother quality) to activate the relevant functionality despite thelimited path along which the trigger may move on account of thetrigger-stop having been engaged. Embodiments may also be implemented inwhich the actuator may also be used to disengage the trigger-stop and/ortrigger-stop mode.

FIG. 1A illustrates a top perspective view of an example videogamecontroller 100 with which the smart trigger-stop systems and assembliesof the present disclosure may be implemented, in accordance with one ormore embodiments. As shown, controller 100 may include a housing 150configured with handles that may be held by a user. Controller 100 mayalso include controls such as, for example, one or more buttons (e.g.,buttons 191, 193, 194, 197), joysticks (e.g., joysticks 192, 196),directional pads (e.g., directional pad 1916), bumpers (e.g., bumper190) and triggers (e.g., left trigger 110) that may be exposed oraccessible through the top and/or forward face of housing 150 such thata user may maneuver them with his/her fingers. One of more of thesecontrols may be operatively coupled (e.g., mechanically and/orelectrically coupled) to one or more internal components housed withinand carried by housing 100.

For example, trigger 110 may be physically coupled with the housing 150via a hinge, and electrically coupled with an internal sensor configuredto detect trigger 110's movements and generate or affect signal(s)corresponding to such movements (or actuate a sequence of steps thatresults in such signal(s) being generated (e.g., via a transducer) oraffected (e.g., by a variable resistor)). As may be observed, trigger110 may be depressed or otherwise displaced to a certain degree/distancewhen pulled or pressed by a user, and then may spring back to itsresting position when released. The path along which trigger 110 (or aportion of trigger 110) moves when pulled is referred to herein as the“travel path” or “path of travel.”

In general, the controller design generally defines the maximum distancethe trigger may be pulled or otherwise moved along the travel pathbefore being stopped or blocked by another structure (e.g., blocked by aportion of the housing, or a structure coupled with the housing such asa guide component). As explained in more detail with reference to theFigures that follow, a smart trigger-stop system may be deployed inconnection with controller 100 in order to “stop” the movement oftrigger 110 at some point before it reaches the maximum travel distance,thereby reducing the length of travel trigger 110 may move upon beforehitting a mechanical stop. In some embodiments, such smart trigger-stopsystems may be engaged by moving or affecting an actuator operativelycoupled thereto that is accessible to a user from outside of thecontroller housing, an example of which is shown in FIG. 1B (see, e.g.,slider 122).

FIG. 1B illustrates a bottom perspective view of the example videogamecontroller depicted in FIG. 1A. As depicted, controller 100 may includeone or more exposed actuators (e.g., controls or other components)operatively coupled thereto that is/are accessible to a user via theexterior of the housing 150. In the illustrated example, slide switch122 is provided as an actuator to engage or disengage a trigger-stopfunction. Although the actuator in this example is illustrated as aslide switch, other switches or mechanisms—which may be mechanical innature (physical slider), or electrical in nature (e.g., touch sensor),or a combination of both—can be provided as an actuator to engage ordisengage the trigger-stop function. In this example, slide switch 122may be moved from side-to-side along an exterior portion of housing 150.Slide switch 122 may comprise one or more features or be operativelycoupled to one or more components such that movement of the slide switch122 from side-to-side (i.e., from a first position to a second position,and vice versa) causes a trigger-stop mode for the trigger to engage ordisengage.

For example, moving slide switch 122 toward trigger 110 (into theposition shown) may move an internal trigger-stop structure into anengaged position, while moving slide switch 122 away from trigger 110(back toward the center of the device) may move the internaltrigger-stop structure into a disengaged position. Further, triggeringan actuator (such as by moving slide switch 122 in the illustratedexample to effectuate the movement of a corresponding trigger-stopstructure) may, in some embodiments, also cause the controller to imposea signal mapping scheme/profile that is different from thescheme/profile applied under normal operation (i.e., engaging atrigger-stop mode that is different than a normal operation mode).

The trigger-stop actuator may be a distinct mechanical structure that isphysically coupled (directly or indirectly) with the correspondingtrigger-stop mechanism to facilitate such movements, or it may be anextension of the trigger-stop structure (integral to the structure) thatis configured to extend through the shell of the housing 150 so that aportion is exposed and/or accessible to a user from a position outsidethe housing 150. In some example embodiments, a tool such as ascrewdriver or hex key may be needed to access/operate the trigger stopactuator, and in some example embodiments the actuator may beaccessed/operated by fingers of a user's hand. In an example embodiment,the trigger-stop actuator may be configured to be communicativelycoupled to the corresponding trigger-stop mechanism such that it sends asignal (e.g., electrical, RF, optical or otherwise) to the trigger-stopmechanism to engage or disengage the trigger-stop mode.

It should also be noted that the trigger-stop actuator (e.g., an exposedcomponent or extension of the trigger-stop structure) need not be in theform of a slide switch as shown in the illustrated example. Thetrigger-stop actuator may be implemented using any of a number ofdifferent actuators such as, for example, a knob, a lever, a switch, ahandle, a dial, a capacitive switch, a squeeze switch, an opticalsensor, or any other structure that may be implemented to allow the userto change the length of the path the trigger may travel, and/or the modeof the controller.

Moreover, although the example trigger-stop actuator shown in FIG. 1B(the slide switch 122) is depicted to suggest that it may be moved bythe finger of a user, the exposed components of the present disclosureare not limited to such implementations. For example, in someembodiments the trigger-stop actuator may require a tool (e.g., hex key,a screw driver, etc.), key or other implement to trigger the actuator.As explained in further detail with reference to example embodimentsshown in FIGS. 2-4C, trigger-stop actuators (such as slide switch 122)may be triggered (e.g., maneuvered, touched, etc.) By a user toeffectuate a movement of a trigger-stop mechanism operatively coupledthereto.

FIG. 2 illustrates a top perspective view of the example videogamecontroller shown in FIG. 1A with a top portion of the housing 150removed to expose example trigger-stop mechanism components inaccordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Asshown in this example, gaming controller 100 may include one or moretriggers 110, trigger-stops 120, switches 123, sensors 170, processors175, memory 180, transmitters 185, and/or power sources 190. Any one ormore of the foregoing may be mechanically and/or electrically coupledwith one another and/or with housing 150 of gaming controller 100, andmay operate alone or together (e.g., as described herein) to facilitateone or more implementations of the smart trigger-stop technologydisclosed herein. For simplicity, various electrical components in theexemplary embodiment illustrated are depicted symbolically using boxes(e.g., sensor 170, processor 175, etc.).

As shown in this example, trigger-stop 120 may be movably coupled withhousing 150 such that a user may move trigger-stop 120 from a disengagedposition into an engaged position (i.e., from a first position into asecond position) and vice versa by moving the slide switch 122 fromside-to-side as discussed above (reference numeral 132 in FIG. 2pointing to an outline of slide switch 122's coupling point on theunderside of trigger-stop 120).

FIG. 3 illustrates a magnified view of various internal components andfeatures of the controller shown in FIG. 2 and relating to the smarttrigger-stop technology as implemented in accordance with one or moreembodiments of the present disclosure. As may be observed from theexample illustrated in FIG. 3, moving trigger-stop 120 from thedisengaged position to the engaged position (e.g., moving thetrigger-stop 120 as depicted to the left along track 126) may: (i) causea portion of trigger-stop 120 to move into a portion of trigger 110'stravel path (the travel path indicated symbolically by the broken linereferenced as numeral 113) and thereby block or otherwise reduce thedegree to which trigger 110 may be pulled/depressed, and/or (ii) cause aswitch 123 coupled to trigger-stop 120 to be flipped and thereby signalto processor 175 that the trigger-stop 120 is in the engaged positionand that signal transmissions responsive to trigger movements should beadjusted accordingly (i.e., the signals should be processed inaccordance with a different signal mapping scheme/profile).

In the depicted embodiment, trigger 110 includes arm extension 111,which may move along travel path 113 as the trigger 110 is pressed by auser. When the trigger-stop 120 is in a disengaged position, trigger 110and arm extension 111 may move along their entire travel path freely.That is, trigger arm extension 111 may move freely from Position A (theresting position) to Position C (the fully pulled position) withoutbeing stopped or blocked along the way. On the other hand, when thetrigger-stop 120 is moved into the engaged position, a blocking portion121 of trigger-stop 120 may fall within a portion of trigger 110'stravel path 113 such that the trigger 110 is stopped before reaching thefully pulled position (Position C). That is, trigger arm extension 111may be stopped or blocked at Position B as the trigger moves along thetravel path 113, thereby reducing the total distance the trigger maytravel before being stopped. As such, a user may be able to receivetactile feedback on their trigger finger (indicating the trigger hasbeen sufficiently pressed) more quickly than when the trigger-stop isnot engaged. In particular, the user may feel the impact between theblocking portion 121 of the trigger-stop 120 and the arm extension 111of trigger 110 more quickly than they might feel the impact of the armextension 111 with some other native feature of the controller demarkingthe end of the travel path 113 at Position C. Because the travel path oftrigger 110 may be reduced by engaging trigger-stop 120, a user mayfully engage the trigger controls of controller 100 more quickly andwith greater efficiency.

Similarly, moving trigger-stop 120 from the engaged position to thedisengaged position (e.g., moving the trigger-stop 120 as depicted tothe right along track 126 (shown in FIG. 2)) may: (i) cause the blockingportion 121 of trigger-stop 120 to move out of trigger arm extension111's travel path 113, thereby allowing the trigger 110 to be pulledback along the entire travel path and (ii) cause switch 123 to beflipped back and thereby signal to processor 175 that the trigger-stop120 is in the disengaged position and that signal transmissionsresponsive to trigger movements may be processed in accordance with theoriginal/normal signal mapping scheme (i.e., the normal trigger mode maybe reestablished).

The blocking portion 121 of trigger-stop 120 may be any portion orfeature of the trigger-stop 120 structure (e.g., an edge, an arm, anextension, a lip, a corner, a flange, etc.), or any separate componentcoupled with and/or protruding from the trigger-stop 120 structure. Forexample, as shown in FIG. 2, blocking portion 121 of the trigger-stop120 may be a flange that extends from an elbow like structure comprisingpart of the trigger-stop 120. When the trigger-stop 120 is moved intothe engaged position, a leading edge of the flange falls within thetravel path 113 of the trigger 110 such that when the trigger 110 ispulled back by a user, the trigger 110 is partially blocked from itsfull range of movement along the travel path 113 by the imposition ofthe blocking portion 121 (the flange) of the trigger-stop 120.

Although the examples depicted with reference to FIG. 2 use a mechanicalcoupling to slide a trigger stop 120 into place to block the travel of atrigger 110, other examples can use electromechanical solutions. Forexample, a solenoid, voice coil actuator or other like device can beused to implement the trigger stop mechanism. Consider the example of avoice coil actuator. In this case, the trigger stop actuator can beconfigured to send an electrical signal to the voice coil. Current inthe voice coil from the signal (directly or indirectly) causes the shaftof the actuator to move into the path of the trigger (e.g., into path113) to block the trigger from its full range of motion. To disengage,another signal from the trigger stop actuator can be used to reverse thedirection of current in the coil and remove the actuator shaft from thepath of the trigger.

As noted above, movement of the trigger-stop 120 into an engagedposition may cause a switch 123 coupled to trigger-stop 120 to beflipped and thereby signal to processor 175 that the trigger-stop 120 isin the engaged position and that signal transmissions responsive totrigger movements should be adjusted accordingly (i.e., the signalsshould be processed in accordance with a different signal mappingscheme/profile). As shown, in some embodiments switch 123 may bepositioned or otherwise arranged relative to the trigger-stop 120 and/oractuator in a manner that causes the switch 123 to be flipped back andforth as the trigger-stop 120 is moved into and out of the engagedposition and disengaged position.

For example, trigger-stop 120 may be configured with an aperture fittedto receive a slider knob 124 of switch 123. As trigger-stop 120 movesinto the engaged position (i.e., to the left in FIG. 2), thetrigger-stop 120 structure defining the aperture may push the sliderknob 124 of switch 123 and thereby flip the switch 123. Similarly, astrigger-stop 120 moves from the engaged position back into thedisengaged position, trigger-stop 120 structure may push the slider knob124 of switch 123 back and thereby flip the switch 123 into its originalposition (e.g., an “off” or “on” state, depending on design/preference).The reader should note that slider knob 124 and switch 123 will in someembodiments be different components than, although operatively coupledwith, slide switch 122. In some embodiments there may be more or lessthan two (as shown here) switch type mechanisms operatively coupled withone another to carry out the functionality and technology disclosed.

Controller 100 may include a sensor 170 operatively coupled to trigger110 and configured to detect trigger movements and generate a signalrepresentative of such movements. Sensor 170 may be any type of sensorconfigured to detect movements of the trigger and transduce them intoelectrical signals representative of such movements, including but notlimited to any one or more capacitive, resistive, inductive,piezoelectric, or optical sensors known in the art. For instance, sensor170 may include one or more of a proximity sensor, a rotation sensor, anencoder, a photoelectric sensor, a capacitive displacement sensor, anoptical sensor, a strain gauge, and the like. Sensor 170 may detecttrigger 110 movements in any manner, directly or indirectly, includingby detecting movements of one or more objects extending from oroperatively coupled trigger 110 such as arm extension 111, guidingelement 112 (shown in FIG. 3), a spring, a hinge, etc.). One of ordinaryskill in the art after reading this description will appreciate the manyways in which various sensors may be employed to detect triggermovements, and it should be understood that any and all suchimplementations fall within the scope of the present disclosure. Forexample, instead of trigger-stop 120 engaging the slider knob 123 ofswitch 124—to effectuate a different mapping scheme—when the actuator(e.g., slide switch 122) is moved, the slide switch 122 may itself mayhave electrical contacts that when closed send a signal to the processorindicating the mode change (i.e., the change in the mapping scheme). Thesame may be implemented using a double pole switch that send a one or aground to the processor. One of ordinary skill in the art after readingthis description will appreciate that the present disclosure extends toall such variations, modifications, and implementations.

Signals generated by sensor 170 responsive to trigger 110's movementsmay be provided to processor 175 for processing. In some instances, thesignal(s) generated by the sensor 170 undergo one or more pre-processingoperations before being provided to the processor 175. The signalsgenerated by sensor 170 and provided as input to processor 175 may bedirectly related the trigger's position along the travel path 113 (whichmay correspond directly to how far the trigger has been pulled/pressedback by the user). Processor 175 may process the signals received fromthe sensor 170 according to one or more signal mapping schemes/profilesbefore causing the transmitter 170 (via transmitter logic and circuitryconfigured for either wired or wireless communication) to transmit acorresponding signal to a connected gaming console.

The signal mapping scheme may be carried out or otherwise applied in anymanner, including in some instances by processor 175 executingmachine-machine-readable instructions stored in memory 180 (e.g., acomputer program medium) that effectuate the signal mapping scheme. Thesignal ultimately conveyed to the gaming console (e.g., transmitted viatransmitter 70) may be directly related to how far back the trigger ispulled/pressed. The gaming console may receive the signal from thetransmitter and effectuate the gameplay functionality that correspondsto the trigger 110 movement detected (e.g., the degree of trigger pulldetected).

Switch 123 may be operatively coupled with processor 175 such that thestate/condition of the switch is known to the processor 175, and theprocessor 175 may process the signals generated by sensor 170differently depending on the condition/state of the switch 123. Forexample, processor 175 may process the signals generated by sensor 170in accordance with different machine-readable instructions (or inaccordance with an alternative algorithm or rule nested in the same setof instructions), based on the condition/state of the switch 123. Forinstance, if trigger-stop 120 is in the disengaged position, the switch123 may be in an “off” mode and, based on the “off” mode of the switch123, processor 175 may execute a first subset of instructions that maptrigger movements to transmission output signals in accordance with afirst mapping scheme/profile (also referred to herein as a “firstsignaling profile”). On the other hand, if trigger-stop 120 is movedinto the engaged position causing the switch 123 to flip into an “on”mode, processor 175 may execute a second set of instructions mapping thetrigger movements to transmission output signals in accordance with asecond mapping scheme/profile (also referred to herein as a “secondsignaling profile”). The “on” mode may correspond to the “trigger-stopmode”, and the “off” mode may correspond to the “normal mode”. The firstsignaling profile and the second signaling profile may be different.Example signaling profiles that may be implemented in accordance withone or more embodiments of the present disclosure are discussed in moredetail below (with reference to FIGS. 5A-5C).

It will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that processor175 may cause a signal to be transmitted to a gaming console (or to adongle connected thereto) in any manner, including over a wired orwireless (via transmitter 70) channel. That is, in some embodiments thesignals/information about trigger movements may be communicated to thegaming console via a wireless interface (e.g., a transmitter at thecontroller in communication with a receiver at the console), and inother embodiments the signals/information about trigger movements may bemay communicated to the gaming console via a wired interface (e.g., acable).

Trigger-stop 120 may be movably coupled with the housing 150 in anymanner that allows it to be selectively positioned within the housing150 to impede some movement of the trigger 110. As shown, in someembodiments the trigger-stop 120 may cause a switch 123 to be flipped(changing the mode) when moved into and/or out of one or more suchpositions. For example, housing 150 may be configured with a track 126or rail that trigger-stop 120 can be movably coupled with such thattrigger-stop 120 may be moved back and forth along the track 126 (i.e.,the trigger-stop 120 may be moved from side-to-side along the track 126(based on a user moving slider 122 back and forth), into and out of anengaged position).

Controller 100 may further include a power source 190 configured toenable operation of the various electronic components described above,among others. Power source 190 may be any power source. In someembodiments the power source 190 is a battery or other electrochemicalcell. In other embodiments the power source 190 is provided by an acline that may be plugged into an interface at the controller (notshown).

As noted, FIG. 3 illustrates a magnified view of example trigger andtrigger-stop componentry, here depicting trigger-stop 120 in both anengaged position (unshaded) and a disengaged position (shaded) inaccordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Asmay be observed, moving trigger-stop 120 from the disengaged position(shaded) to the engaged position (unshaded) causes the blocking portion121 of trigger-stop 120 to move into trigger 110's travel path. Thetravel path 130 may be defined in part by an aperture of a guide element112 within which an elbow extension or knob of arm extension 111 may besituated. In the engaged position, trigger-stop 120 will stop thetrigger 110 along the travel path before it reaches the fully-pulledposition (Position C). Additionally, moving trigger-stop 120 from thedisengaged position into the engaged position may cause switch 123(which may be mechanically or electrically coupled with trigger-stop120) to be flipped. Flipping the switch into a differentstate/mode/condition may signal to processor 175 that the trigger-stop120 is in the engaged position and that the controller 100's signaltransmissions responsive to trigger movement(s) should be adjustedaccordingly (i.e., the signals should be processed in accordance with amodified signal mapping scheme (e.g., a different mode/profile)).

FIG. 3 illustrates that sensor 170 may be configured to detect triggermovements indirectly by measuring changes in another object or structurewith which trigger 110 is operatively coupled (here, guide element 112represents an exemplary other object). As shown, trigger 110 may beconfigured to interact with guide element 112 (e.g., the arm extension111 configured with an elbow extension or knob fitted to nest within andglide along an aperture of guide element 112 as the trigger 110 is beingpulled). As trigger 110 is pulled and the knob of arm extension 111moves backward along travel path 113 (i.e., within the aperture of guideelement 112), the guide element 112 may be moved (e.g., shifted,rotated, twisted, translated, etc.). In the example configuration shown,guide element 112 may rotate about an axis, A_(g), as a result oftrigger 110 being pulled/pressed. As depicted, sensor 170 may beoperatively coupled with guide element 112 and configured to detectchanges in guide element 112 caused by movements of the trigger. Forexample, sensor 170 may be configured to detect rotational movement ofguide element 112 about axis, A_(g), as trigger 110 is pulled back by auser. Sensor 170 may generate signal(s) representing such movements andprocessor 175 may receive and process the signal in accordance with amapping scheme (i.e., a signaling profile).

As may be appreciated from reviewing FIG. 3, trigger 110 may berotatably coupled to the housing 150 via a spring-loaded hinge assembly.The spring-loaded hinge assembly may include a pin 116 and barrel 114configuration, with a spring 115 applying a force between housing 150and trigger 110 that imposes a resistance to trigger depressions. Thoughnot specifically depicted, spring-loaded hinge assembly may furthercomprise another barrel or sleeve member that is coupled to the housingand which holds the pin 116 in place relative to the housing. The barrelor sleeve member of the housing 150 and barrel 114 of trigger 110 may befitted together to create a common channel through which pin 116 maydisposed. Such spring-loaded trigger coupling mechanisms are commonlyknown, and one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that thisand/or any other trigger coupling configuration may be used orimplemented in connection with one or more embodiments of the presentdisclosure. Employing a spring-loaded hinge mechanism as shown, trigger110 may be depressed at least partially into the housing when pulled orpressed by a user (e.g., by a user's finger pressing on the triggersurface to depress the trigger 110), and then return to its originalposition when not being pulled by a user (e.g., by the force imposed byspring 115).

Accordingly, as may be observed, the trigger-stop 120 mechanism of thepresent disclosure may be selectively moved into and out of an engagedposition to block or otherwise limited certain movements of the trigger110 as desired. As noted above, a switch 123 may be positioned orcoupled with trigger-stop 120 such that movement of the trigger-stop 120into and out of the engaged position causes a slider knob 124 of theswitch 123 to be flipped back and forth. In some embodiments this may beeffectuated by an aperture 125 or cutout within the trigger-stop 120structure that is fitted to receive a portion of the slider 24 of switch123. In operation, as trigger-stop 120 is moved from a disengagedposition to an engaged position, the location of the aperture 125 movesfrom position d to position e and causes a movement of the slider knob124 of switch 123 (i.e., thereby flipping the switch to display adifferent status/mode/condition). Flipping the switch into a differentstate/mode/condition in this manner may signal to processor 175 that thetrigger-stop 120 is in an engaged position and that the controller 100'ssignal transmissions responsive to trigger movement(s) should beadjusted accordingly (i.e., the signals should be processed inaccordance with a modified signal mapping scheme).

FIG. 4A-4C illustrate various perspective views of the trigger andtrigger-stop componentry shown in FIG. 3 in accordance with one or moreembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4A illustrates a magnified perspective side view of the smarttrigger-stop assembly shown in FIG. 3, the trigger in areleased/unpressed position. As shown, in the unpressed position, theelbow knob of extension arm 111 is in Position A. As a user presses theupon the surface of trigger 110, the elbow knob of the extension arm 111may move along the travel path 113 between Position A and Position Cwhen the trigger-stop 120 is in a disengaged position. When thetrigger-stop 120 is in an engaged position, extension arm 111 may bestopped along the travel path (e.g., extension arm 111 runs intoblocking portion 121) such that elbow knob may only move along thetravel path 113 from Position A to Position B. As elbow knob of armextension 111 moves along the travel path 113 it may cause guide element112 to rotate about an axis, A_(g). Such rotations or other movements ofthe guide element 112 may actuate sensor 170, and sensor 170 (e.g., atransducer) may generate a signal representative of the degree to whichtrigger 110 moved along the path of travel (e.g., based on the rotationof guide element 112).

FIG. 4B illustrates a magnified perspective aerial view of the exampletrigger and trigger-stop assembly depicted in Figure A, in accordancewith one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The depictedview demonstrates how the trigger-stop 120 may be coupled to a slideswitch 122, which in this example is configured to extend through thehousing 150 of videogame controller 100 to enable a user to maneuver thetrigger-stop 120 relative to the trigger 110 (e.g., along track 126). Asshown, trigger-stop 120 may be integrated or mechanically coupled with aslide switch 122 that connects to the trigger-stop 120 structure at oneend, and extends into and/or through an opening in housing 150 atanother end such that it is accessible to a user.

FIG. 4C illustrates a magnified perspective bottom view of the exampletrigger and trigger-stop assembly depicted in FIG. 4B, in accordancewith one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The embodimentillustrated depicts the portion of the slider 122 that may extendthrough the housing to be made accessible to the user, consistent withthe view depicted in FIG. 1B. As may be seen with reference to either orboth of FIGS. 1B and 4C, slide switch 122 may extend through housing toenable a user to maneuver the trigger-stop 120 relative to the trigger110.

FIG. 5A is a graphical depiction of exemplary signal output profiles(i.e., signal mapping schemes) that may be implemented in accordancewith one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Assuming alinear mapping profile, which may be implemented in accordance with someembodiments, line 502 represents the signal output profile under normaloperating conditions (i.e., when trigger-stop is not engaged). As thetrigger is gradually pulled from its resting position (e.g., 0%displacement along the travel path) to its fully pulled position (e.g.,100% displacement along the travel path), the signal communicated to theconsole may gradually increase in strength (e.g., voltage), as shown,from 0% signal strength (i.e., no signal) to 100% signal strength (i.e.,maximum output strength, e.g., lmv). The relationship between therelative degree of trigger pull and the signal output to the controllermay be linear (as shown), or follow any other relationship or pattern(e.g., nonlinear, exponential, power, etc.).

As a smart trigger-stop in accordance with the present disclosure isengaged by a user, the trigger travel path is reduced and the signalmapping scheme is adjusted (i.e., a different mode is implemented). Forexample, as shown in FIG. 5A, dotted line 504 represents the signaloutput profile when a trigger-stop mode is implemented, e.g., when thetrigger stop 120 of the present disclosure is moved to block the normaltrigger travel path such that the trigger is stopped at the half-waypoint along the travel path (i.e., 50% displacement along the travelpath). In some embodiments, the movement of the trigger-stop 120 mayflip a switch in the controller that signals to the processor to applyan adjusted signal mapping scheme. As depicted, the adjusted signalmapping scheme (represented by dotted line 504) may effectively doublethe slope of the signal output in the mapping relationship. That is, thesignal strength for a given degree of trigger pull may have twice themagnitude when the trigger-stop is engaged than when it is not. Thus, asshown in the example profile depicted in FIG. 5A, even though with thetrigger-stop engaged the trigger may only be pulled back to half theoriginal distance, the signal generated or affected (and/or sequentiallyprovided to the console) exhibits 100% signal strength just as if thetrigger had been pulled back the entire distance under the normal mode.

Accordingly, not only may a smart trigger-stop of the present disclosureprovide a way to shorten the trigger travel distance that must beeffectuated before the trigger is stopped (and/or the user receiveshaptic feedback indicating the trigger has been pulled back as far aspossible), but the trigger stop may further cause a signal mappingscheme to be implemented such that when the associated trigger ispulled, the output signal provided to the gaming console (eitherdirectly or as an through a sequence filters, amplifiers, relays,processing steps, etc.) Sufficiently activates the gaming functionalityof interest despite the actual trigger position being different from theposition that would have otherwise been required to generate a signal ofequal strength (or other attribute) under normal operating mode (i.e.,when the trigger stop is not engaged). For example, when thetrigger-stop is engaged the trigger may only be pulled half-way (or someother distance shorter than the full distance), the gaming console mayreceive a signal (generated by the controller or a component thereof)that indicates that the trigger has been pulled much farther along thetravel path than it actually has. Accordingly, the smart trigger-stoptechnology of the present disclosure may quicken response times byreducing trigger travel distances without loss of gaming functionality.

FIG. 5B is another graphical depiction of exemplary signal outputprofiles (i.e., signal mapping schemes) that may be implemented inaccordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Thesignal output profiles of FIG. 5B are similar to those depicted in FIG.5A, but with a small buffer zone 513 where no signal is produced. Thatis, if the trigger is moved by an amount that falls within the bufferzone (up to 12.5% movement along the travel path in this example), nosignal will be produced. This feature allows a user to rest theirfingers on the trigger surface (thereby causing the trigger to becomeslightly depressed) without unintentionally activating gaming functions.

FIG. 5C is another graphical depiction of exemplary signal outputprofiles (i.e., signal mapping schemes) that may be implemented inaccordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Line524 represents the signal output profile applied when a trigger-stop isnot engaged, while dotted line 522 represents the signal output profilewhen a trigger-stop of the present disclosure is engaged such that thetrigger is stopped at or shortly after the half-way point along thetravel path (i.e., 50% displacement along the travel path). As depicted,line 524 may define a linear and gradual relationship between the degreeof trigger pull and the strength of signal output. Also as depicted bydotted line 522, in some embodiments the signal output generated oraffected when the trigger-stop is in the engaged position may follow astep-function type relationship—an “on” or “off” type profile that iseffectuated at a certain point along the trigger's path of travel (e.g.,at the point of impact with the trigger-stop, or slightly before, hereat 50% of the travel distance). This hybrid arrangement may beimplemented in one or more embodiments to allow the trigger to functionlike a button during combat type games (with the trigger-stop beingengaged), and then switch back to the gradient styled signaling profilewhen playing games that call for such a gradient (e.g., racing games).Although the point at which the step-function type signal is activatedis depicted as being at 50% of the travel path in the example shown inFIG. 5C, it will be appreciated that the step-up point may be set at anypoint along the travel distance (any desired percentage of maxdistance), and in some embodiments may be adjustable by a user (e.g.,via adjusting a multi-staged trigger stop that has more than twopositions).

It should be understood that the graphical representations of signalingoutput profiles in FIGS. 5A-5C are only examples, and that anymodifications or variations of the same may be implemented in accordancewith one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. For instance,the signal output profile for the trigger-stop mode (dotted line 504) isshown to peak at a point when the trigger has been pulled to 50% of theentire travel distance. In other embodiments, the signal may peak at apoint when the trigger has been pulled to more or less than 50% of theentire travel path. Similar such variations and changes may also beconsidered with reference to FIGS. 5B-5C. It should also be noted thatalthough signal output is often discussed herein with reference tosignal strength, any signal parameter or characteristic (e.g.,frequency/wavelength, amplitude, etc.) Useful for communicating and/orcarrying information may be utilized in embodiments of the presenttechnology, and any such parameter may be scaled and/or adjusted tocompensate for reduced trigger travel caused by engaged trigger-stops.

FIG. 6 illustrates a top perspective view of another example videogamecontroller employing smart trigger-stop technology in accordance withone or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The embodimentdepicted in FIG. 6 employs an axle 226 and a lever instead of the track126 and slider 122 used in the embodiments depicted in FIGS. 2-4D tomove the trigger-stop component into and out of an engaged position. Asnoted previously, any mechanism for effectuating the technologydisclosed herein may be utilized, and the scope of the presentdisclosure should not be construed as being limited to the embodimentsillustrated in the Figures, nor to the specific example mechanismsdescribed herein for carrying out the technology. One of ordinary skillin the art will appreciate that many variations and modifications to theembodiments discussed herein may be made and implemented withoutexceeding the scope of the present disclosure.

With reference to the embodiment depicted FIG. 6, as shown, an exemplarygaming controller 200 in accordance with one or more implementations ofthe present disclosure may include one or more triggers 210,trigger-stops 220, switches 223 (or other actuators or sensors), sensors270, processors 275, memory 280, transmitters 285, and/or power sources290. Any one or more of the foregoing may be mechanically and/orelectrically coupled with one another and/or with housing 250 of gamingcontroller 200, and may operate alone or together (as described herein)to facilitate one or more implementations of the smart trigger-stoptechnology disclosed herein. For simplicity, various electricalcomponents in the exemplary embodiment illustrated are depictedsymbolically using boxes (e.g., sensor 270, processor 275, etc.).

As shown, trigger-stop 220 may be movably coupled with housing 250 suchthat a user may move trigger-stop 220 from a disengaged position into anengaged position (i.e., from a first position into a second position)and vice versa by moving the actuator (lever component 222) fromside-to-side.

Similar to the embodiments discussed above with reference to FIGS. 2-4C,moving trigger-stop 220 from a disengaged position to an engagedposition (e.g., moving the lever 222 such that trigger-stop 220 rotatesabout axle 226) may: (i) cause a portion of trigger-stop 220 to moveinto a portion of trigger 210's travel path (the travel path indicatedsymbolically by the broken line referenced as numeral 213) and therebyblock or otherwise reduce the degree to which trigger 210 may bepulled/depressed, and (ii) cause a switch 223 coupled to trigger-stop220 to be flipped and thereby signal to processor 275 that thetrigger-stop 220 is in an engaged position and that signal transmissionsresponsive to trigger movements should be adjusted accordingly (i.e.,the signals should be processed in accordance with a different signalmapping scheme (e.g., signal scheme described by dotted line 504 of FIG.5A).

In the depicted embodiment, trigger 210 includes arm extension 211 whichmay move along travel path 213 as the surface of trigger 210 is pressedby a user. When the trigger-stop 220 is in a disengaged position,trigger 210 may move along the entire travel path freely. That is,trigger arm extension 211 may move freely from Position A (the restingposition) to Position C (the fully pulled position) without beingstopped or blocked along the way. On the other hand, when thetrigger-stop 220 is moved into the engaged position, a blocking portion221 of trigger-stop 220 may fall within a portion of trigger 210'stravel path 213 such that the trigger 210 is stopped before reaching thefully pulled position (Position C). That is, trigger arm extension 211may be stopped or blocked at Position B as the trigger moves along thetravel path 213, thereby reducing the total distance the trigger maytravel before being stopped. As such, user may be able to receivetactile feedback at their fingertip (indicating the trigger has beensufficiently pressed) more quickly than when the trigger-stop is notengaged. In particular, the user may feel the impact between theblocking portion 221 of the trigger-stop 220 and the arm extension 211of trigger 210 more quickly than they might feel the impact of the armextension 111 with some other native feature of the controller at theend of the travel path 113 (at Position C). Because the travel path oftrigger 210 may be reduced by engaging trigger-stop 220, a user mayoperate the trigger controls of controller 200 in less time and withgreater efficiency.

The remaining features of the embodiment depicted in FIG. 6 have beenadequately described with reference to prior Figures (with similarnumerals representing similar features).

FIG. 7 illustrates a magnified view of exemplary trigger andtrigger-stop componentry, here depicting trigger-stop 220 in both anengaged position (unshaded) and a disengaged position (shaded), inaccordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Asmay be observed, moving trigger-stop 220 from the disengaged position(shaded) to the engaged position (unshaded) causes the blocking portion221 of trigger-stop 220 to move into trigger 200's travel path. Thetravel path 213 may be defined in part by an aperture of a guide element212 within which an elbow knob/extension of arm extension 211 may besituated. In the engaged position, trigger-stop 220 will stop trigger210 along the travel path before it reaches the fully-pulled position(Position C). Additionally, moving trigger-stop 220 from the disengagedposition into the engaged position may cause switch 223 (which may bemechanically or electrically coupled with trigger-stop 220) to beflipped/switched. Flipping the switch into a differentstate/mode/condition may signal to processor 275 that the trigger-stop220 is in the engaged position and that the controller 200's signaltransmissions responsive to trigger movement(s) should be adjustedaccordingly (i.e., the signals should be processed in accordance with amodified signal mapping scheme).

FIG. 8A-8C illustrate various perspective views of the example triggerand trigger-stop componentry shown in FIG. 6 in accordance with one ormore embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8A illustrates a magnified perspective side view of the smarttrigger-stop assembly shown in FIG. 6, the trigger in areleased/unpressed position. As shown, a slider 224 of switch 223 may beinserted into an aperture or other feature of trigger-stop 220. Theslider 224 may be positioned such that the movement (e.g., rotation) ofthe trigger-stop 220 structure causes the slider 224 to move between twoor more positions. As may be recognized, when trigger-stop 220 isengaged, blocking portion 221 may prevent elbow knob of arm extension211 from moving beyond a certain point (e.g., Position B) along the pathfrom Position A (resting position) to Position C (fully pulledposition).

FIGS. 8B and 8C illustrates magnified perspective views of the exampletrigger and trigger-stop assembly depicted in FIG. 8A, in accordancewith one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The depictedviews demonstrates that trigger-stop 220 may be included or otherwisecoupled to a lever component 222, lever component 222 being configuredto extend through the housing 250 of videogame controller 200 to enablea user to maneuver the trigger-stop 220 relative to the trigger 210 andat least partially block its range of movement (e.g., causingtrigger-stop 220 to rotate about axel 226 until blocking portion 221 isin the arm extension 211's path of travel).

It is reemphasized here that the drawings have been provided forillustration purposes only, and merely depict typical or exampleembodiments of the disclosed technology. Variations and modificationswill be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art afterreviewing this disclosure, and all such variations and modifications areintended to fall within the scope of the present disclosure. Forinstance, FIG. 3 depicts how a blocking mechanism (e.g. 121) may bemoved into and out of engaged and disengaged positions by being movedfrom side to side (e.g., from right to left) and FIG. 7 depicts how ablocking mechanisms (e.g., 221) may be moved into and out of engaged anddisengaged positions by being rotated (e.g., clockwise orcounterclockwise), but other mechanisms may also be employed—e.g., suchas a blocking mechanism situated along the imaginary line in theextension arm's path of travel that can slide forward or backward alongthat line (deeper or less deep into the path) to adjust the throw of thetrigger. In such an instance, the farther the blocking mechanism is slidinto position, the shorter the distance before the trigger (or extensionarm) hits the stop (of which the blocking mechanism may be a part).

In another example modification or variation, the smart trigger stoptechnology of the present disclosure may be adapted to include anadjustable trigger stop with more than one engaged position (i.e., amultimodal trigger-stop assembly). For instance, referring to FIG. 7,the smart trigger-stop assembly may include allow for lever 222 to bemoved by degrees (e.g., a little or a lot, or anywhere in between) tocorrespondingly move blocking mechanism 221 by degrees and therebychange the position at which the trigger is blocked so that the user canselect a very short throw, a medium throw, etc. Instead of being limitedto either a fully engaged or fully disengaged options (e.g., blocked orun-blocked in a “binary” fashion). In such an embodiment, as well asothers, switch 223 may be a variable switch instead of an on/off switch.Such a variable switch may change the signal level, current, duty cycleor other signal parameter that is sent to the processor such that theprocessor may determine at what point along the path the stop ispositioned. The processor and/or controller may further be configured toincrementally change the signal output profile (i.e., the mapping schemeor mapping profile) as the signal parameter received from the variableswitch incrementally changes in response to movements of the blockingmechanism (which may situate of the blocking mechanism in one of aplurality of different positions). That is, although much of thisdisclosure describes embodiments implemented to provide dual-mode (i.e.,two-stage) trigger-stop functionality (as depicted in FIG. 3), in otherembodiments the trigger-stop technology may be implemented to provide amulti-mode (i.e., multi-stage) stopping functionality.

Furthermore, and though not depicted in detail in the foregoing Figures,the smart trigger stop technology of the present disclosure may alsoinclude a trigger rebound component coupled to one or both of thetrigger (or a subcomponent or extension of the trigger) and the triggerstop (or a subcomponent or extension of the trigger stop), the triggerrebound component may be any material or mechanism configured to provideforward thrust to the trigger upon being pulled back to a stoppingpoint. For example, an elastomeric material may be coupled to theleading edge of the blocking portion of a trigger-stop, the elastomericmaterial providing a degree of bounce-back to the trigger so as todecrease the amount of time it takes the trigger to return to thereleased/relaxed position. In other examples a spring, coil, plunger,solenoid or any other component of mechanism may be deployed to achieveadded bounce in the trigger rebound.

FIG. 9 depicts a system within which one or more embodiments of thepresent disclosure may be implemented. As shown, system 900 may includea display 901, a videogame console 902, and a videogame controller 903including one or more smart trigger stops as disclosed herein. Any oneor more of videogame controller 903, the videogame console 902, and thedisplay 901 may be communicatively, electrically, and/or mechanicallycoupled with one another to facilitate a gaming experience for a user.The electrical circuitry included in controller 903 may generate asignal responsive to trigger movements and convey that signal to console902. Console 902 may process the signal and effectuate a gaming functionor operation the signal is mapped to, and generate appropriate signal tomodify the video experience viewed on the display 901 based, in whole orin part, on the signal received from the controller. The components ofsystem 900 are depicted as being communicatively coupled through one ormore wires (e.g., wire 904, 905). However, it should be noted thatwireless communication protocols may also be employed as desired in thevarious embodiments of the present disclosure. Moreover, although notdepicted in this manner, in some embodiments of the present disclosurethe display 903, the console 902, and the controller 901 may all becomprised in a single device (e.g., a handheld Nintendo 3Ds). Further,any one or more of the foregoing may include or be otherwise deployedwith computing modules and/or technology that enables any one or more ofthe features and/or technologies disclosed herein. FIG. 10 discussessuch modules in greater detail

Referring now to FIG. 10, computing module 1200 may represent, forexample, computing or processing capabilities found within desktop,laptop, notebook, gaming consoles, and tablet computers; hand-heldcomputing devices (tablets, PDA's, smart phones, cell phones, palmtops,etc.); wearable computing devices such as smartwatches; mainframes,supercomputers, workstations or servers; or any other type ofspecial-purpose or general-purpose computing devices as may be desirableor appropriate for a given application or environment. Computing module1200 might also represent computing capabilities embedded within orotherwise available to a given device. For instance, a computing modulemight be found in other electronic devices such as, for example, digitalcameras, videogame consoles, gaming controllers, navigation systems,cellular telephones, videogame controllers portable computing devices,modems, routers, WAPs, terminals and other electronic devices that mightinclude some form of processing capability.

Computing module 1200 might include, for example, one or more processors(e.g., such as processor 175, processor 275, etc.), controllers, controlmodules, or other processing devices, such as a processor 1204.Processor 1204 might be implemented using a general-purpose orspecial-purpose processing engine such as, for example, amicroprocessor, controller, or other control logic. In the illustratedexample, processor 1204 is connected to a bus 1202, although anycommunication medium can be used to facilitate interaction with othercomponents of computing module 1200 or to communicate externally.

Computing module 1200 might also include one or more memory modules,simply referred to herein as main memory 1208. For example, preferablyrandom access memory (RAM) or other dynamic memory, might be used forstoring information and instructions to be executed by processor 1204.Main memory 1208 might also be used for storing temporary variables orother intermediate information during execution of instructions to beexecuted by processor 1204. Computing module 1200 might likewise includea read only memory (“ROM”) or other static storage device coupled to bus1202 for storing static information and instructions for processor 1204.

The computing module 1200 might also include one or more various formsof information storage mechanism 1210, which might include, for example,a media drive 1212 and a storage unit interface 1220. The media drive1212 might include a drive or other mechanism to support fixed orremovable storage media 1214. For example, a hard disk drive, a solidstate drive, a magnetic tape drive, an optical disk drive, a CD, DVD, orBlu-ray drive (R or RW), or other removable or fixed media drive mightbe provided. Accordingly, storage media 1214 might include, for example,a hard disk, a solid state drive, magnetic tape, cartridge, opticaldisk, a CD, DVD, Blu-ray or other fixed or removable medium that is readby, written to or accessed by media drive 1212. As these examplesillustrate, the storage media 1214 can include a computer usable storagemedium having stored therein computer software or data.

In alternative embodiments, information storage mechanism 1210 mightinclude other similar instrumentalities for allowing computer programsor other instructions or data to be loaded into computing module 1200.Such instrumentalities might include, for example, a fixed or removablestorage unit 1222 and an interface 1220. Examples of such storage units1222 and interfaces 1220 can include a program cartridge and cartridgeinterface, a removable memory (for example, a flash memory or otherremovable memory module) and memory slot, a PCMCIA slot and card, andother fixed or removable storage units 1222 and interfaces 1220 thatallow software and data to be transferred from the storage unit 1222 tocomputing module 1200.

Computing module 1200 might also include a communications interface1224. Communications interface 1224 might be used to allow software anddata to be transferred between computing module 1200 and externaldevices. Examples of communications interface 1224 might include a modemor softmodem, a network interface (such as an Ethernet, networkinterface card, WiMedia, IEEE 802.XX or other interface), acommunications port (such as for example, a USB port, IR port, RS232port Bluetooth® interface, or other port), or other communicationsinterface. Software and data transferred via communications interface1224 might typically be carried on signals, which can be electronic,electromagnetic (which includes optical) or other signals capable ofbeing exchanged by a given communications interface 1224. These signalsmight be provided to communications interface 1224 via a channel 1228.This channel 1228 might carry signals and might be implemented using awired or wireless communication medium. Some examples of a channel mightinclude a phone line, a cellular link, an RF link, an optical link, anetwork interface, a local or wide area network, and other wired orwireless communications channels.

In this document, the terms “computer program medium” and “computerusable medium” are used to generally refer to transitory ornon-transitory media such as, for example, memory 1208, storage unit1220, media 1214, and channel 1228. These and other various forms ofcomputer program media or computer usable media may be involved incarrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions to aprocessing device for execution. Such instructions embodied on themedium, are generally referred to as “computer program code” or a“computer program product” (which may be grouped in the form of computerprograms or other groupings). When executed, such instructions mightenable the computing module 1200 to perform features or functions of thepresent application as discussed herein.

Although described above in terms of various exemplary embodiments andimplementations, it should be understood that the various features,aspects and functionality described in one or more of the individualembodiments are not limited in their applicability to the particularembodiment with which they are described, but instead can be applied,alone or in various combinations, to one or more of the otherembodiments of the application, whether or not such embodiments aredescribed and whether or not such features are presented as being a partof a described embodiment. Thus, the breadth and scope of the presentapplication should not be limited by any of the above-describedexemplary embodiments.

Terms and phrases used in this document, and variations thereof, unlessotherwise expressly stated, should be construed as open ended as opposedto limiting. As examples of the foregoing: the term “including” shouldbe read as meaning “including, without limitation” or the like; the term“example” is used to provide exemplary instances of the item indiscussion, not an exhaustive or limiting list thereof; the terms “a” or“an” should be read as meaning “at least one,” “one or more” or thelike; and adjectives such as “conventional,” “traditional,” “normal,”“standard,” “known” and terms of similar meaning should not be construedas limiting the item described to a given time period or to an itemavailable as of a given time, but instead should be read to encompassconventional, traditional, normal, or standard technologies that may beavailable or known now or at any time in the future. Likewise, wherethis document refers to technologies that would be apparent or known toone of ordinary skill in the art, such technologies encompass thoseapparent or known to the skilled artisan now or at any time in thefuture.

The presence of broadening words and phrases such as “one or more,” “atleast,” “but not limited to” or other like phrases in some instancesshall not be read to mean that the narrower case is intended or requiredin instances where such broadening phrases may be absent. The use of theterm “module” does not imply that the components or functionalitydescribed or claimed as part of the module are all configured in acommon package. Indeed, any or all of the various components of amodule, whether control logic or other components, can be combined in asingle package or separately maintained and can further be distributedin multiple groupings or packages or across multiple locations.

Additionally, the various embodiments set forth herein are described interms of exemplary block diagrams, flow charts and other illustrations.As will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art afterreading this document, the illustrated embodiments and their variousalternatives can be implemented without confinement to the illustratedexamples. For example, block diagrams and their accompanying descriptionshould not be construed as mandating a particular architecture orconfiguration.

While various embodiments of the present disclosure have been describedabove, it should be understood that they have been presented by way ofexample only, and not of limitation Likewise, the various diagrams maydepict an example architectural or other configuration for thedisclosure, which is done to aid in understanding the features andfunctionality that can be included in the disclosure. The disclosure isnot restricted to the illustrated example architectures orconfigurations, but the desired features can be implemented using avariety of alternative architectures and configurations. Indeed, it willbe apparent to one of skill in the art how alternative functional,logical or physical partitioning and configurations can be implementedto implement the desired features of the present disclosure. Also, amultitude of different constituent module names other than thosedepicted herein can be applied to the various partitions. Additionally,with regard to flow diagrams, operational descriptions and methodclaims, the order in which the steps are presented herein shall notmandate that various embodiments be implemented to perform the recitedfunctionality in the same order unless the context dictates otherwise.

Although the disclosure is described above in terms of various exemplaryembodiments and implementations, it should be understood that thevarious features, aspects and functionality described in one or more ofthe individual embodiments are not limited in their applicability to theparticular embodiment with which they are described, but instead can beapplied, alone or in various combinations, to one or more of the otherembodiments of the disclosure, whether or not such embodiments aredescribed and whether or not such features are presented as being a partof a described embodiment. Thus, the breadth and scope of the presentdisclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplaryembodiments.

Terms and phrases used in this document, and variations thereof, unlessotherwise expressly stated, should be construed as open ended as opposedto limiting. As examples of the foregoing: the term “including” shouldbe read as meaning “including, without limitation” or the like; the term“example” is used to provide exemplary instances of the item indiscussion, not an exhaustive or limiting list thereof; the terms “a” or“an” should be read as meaning “at least one,” “one or more” or thelike; and adjectives such as “conventional,” “traditional,” “normal,”“standard,” “known” and terms of similar meaning should not be construedas limiting the item described to a given time period or to an itemavailable as of a given time, but instead should be read to encompassconventional, traditional, normal, or standard technologies that may beavailable or known now or at any time in the future. Likewise, wherethis document refers to technologies that would be apparent or known toone of ordinary skill in the art, such technologies encompass thoseapparent or known to the skilled artisan now or at any time in thefuture.

The presence of broadening words and phrases such as “one or more,” “atleast,” “but not limited to” or other like phrases in some instancesshall not be read to mean that the narrower case is intended or requiredin instances where such broadening phrases may be absent. The use of theterm “module” does not imply that the components or functionalitydescribed or claimed as part of the module are all configured in acommon package. Indeed, any or all of the various components of amodule, whether control logic or other components, can be combined in asingle package or separately maintained and can further be distributedin multiple groupings or packages or across multiple locations.

Additionally, the various embodiments set forth herein are described interms of exemplary block diagrams, flow charts and other illustrations.As will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art afterreading this document, the illustrated embodiments and their variousalternatives can be implemented without confinement to the illustratedexamples. For example, block diagrams and their accompanying descriptionshould not be construed as mandating a particular architecture orconfiguration.

1. (canceled)
 2. A video game controller, comprising: a housing; atrigger movably coupled to the housing, the trigger pivotable about afirst axis along a travel path in a direction transverse to the axisfrom a default position to a fully depressed position; a processorconfigured to communicate output signals to a gaming console based atleast in part on movement of the trigger; a trigger stop movably coupledto the housing, the trigger stop movable between a first position thatallows the trigger to be depressed along the travel path to a fullydepressed position and a second position that limits the trigger to movealong a reduced travel distance between the default position and anintermediate depressed position located along the travel path betweenthe default position and the fully depressed position, and an electricalswitch configured to communicate with the processor, the electricalswitch configured to operate in a first mode when the trigger stop is inthe first position and configured to operate in a second mode differentthan the first mode when the trigger stop is in the second position,wherein the processor is configured to map movement of the trigger tosaid output signals in accordance with a first mapping profile when theswitch is in the first mode and configured to map movement of thetrigger to said output signals in accordance with a second mappingprofile different than the first mapping profile when the switch is inthe second mode.
 3. The video game controller of claim 2, wherein thetrigger stop in the second position is configured to contact at least aportion of the trigger to limit movement of the trigger along the travelpath.
 4. The video game controller of claim 2, wherein the trigger stopis movable linearly in a direction generally transverse to the travelpath of the trigger.
 5. The video game controller of claim 2, whereinthe trigger stop is rotatable between the first position and a secondposition about a second axis different than the first axis.
 6. The videogame controller of claim 2, wherein the trigger-stop includes a leverthat extends through an opening in the housing, the lever configured tobe engaged by a user to move the trigger-stop between the first positionand the second position.
 7. The video game controller of claim 2,further comprising a sensor configured to detect a position of thetrigger along the travel path and configured to generate a signalrepresentative of a trigger position, the sensor configured tocommunicate with the processor.
 8. The video game controller of claim 2,wherein movement of the trigger stop between the first position and thesecond position simultaneously actuates the electrical switch betweenthe first mode and second mode.
 9. A video game controller, comprising:a housing; a trigger movably coupled to the housing via a spring-loadedhinge, the trigger pivotable about a first axis along a travel path in adirection transverse to the axis from a default position to a fullydepressed position; a processor configured to communicate output signalsto a gaming console based at least in part on movement of the trigger; atrigger stop movably coupled to the housing, the trigger stop linearlymovable between a first position that allows the trigger to be depressedalong the travel path to a fully depressed position and a secondposition that limits the trigger to move along a reduced travel distancebetween the default position and an intermediate depressed positionlocated along the travel path between the default position and the fullydepressed position, and an electrical switch configured to communicatewith the processor, the electrical switch configured to operate in afirst mode when the trigger stop is in the first position and configuredto operate in a second mode different than the first mode when thetrigger stop is in the second position.
 10. The video game controller ofclaim 9, wherein the processor is configured to map movement of thetrigger to said output signals in accordance with a first mappingprofile when the switch is in the first mode and configured to mapmovement of the trigger to said output signals in accordance with asecond mapping profile different than the first mapping profile when theswitch is in the second mode.
 11. The video game controller of claim 9,wherein the trigger stop in the second position is configured to contactat least a portion of the trigger to limit movement of the trigger alongthe travel path.
 12. The video game controller of claim 9, wherein thetrigger-stop includes a lever that extends through an opening in thehousing, the lever configured to be engaged by a user to move thetrigger-stop between the first position and the second position.
 13. Thevideo game controller of claim 9, further comprising a sensor configuredto detect a position of the trigger along the travel path and configuredto generate a signal representative of a trigger position, the sensorconfigured to communicate with the processor.
 14. A video gamecontroller, comprising: a housing; a trigger movably coupled to thehousing, the trigger pivotable about a first axis along a travel path ina direction transverse to the axis from a default position to a fullydepressed position; a processor configured to communicate output signalsto a gaming console based at least in part on movement of the trigger; atrigger stop movably coupled to the housing, the trigger stop movablebetween a first position that allows the trigger to be depressed alongthe travel path to a fully depressed position and a second position thatlimits the trigger to move along a reduced travel distance between thedefault position and an intermediate depressed position located alongthe travel path between the default position and the fully depressedposition, and an electrical switch configured to communicate with theprocessor, the electrical switch configured to operate in a first modewhen the trigger stop is in the first position and configured to operatein a second mode different than the first mode when the trigger stop isin the second position, wherein the processor is configured to mapmovement of the trigger to said output signals in accordance with afirst mapping profile when the switch is in the first mode andconfigured to map movement of the trigger to said output signals inaccordance with a second mapping profile different than the firstmapping profile when the switch is in the second mode, wherein theoutput signal communicated by the processor when the switch is in thefirst mode and the trigger is fully depressed is the same as the outputsignal communicated by the processor when the switch is in the secondmode and the trigger is depressed to the intermediate depressedposition.
 15. The video game controller of claim 14, wherein the triggerstop in the second position is configured to contact at least a portionof the trigger to limit movement of the trigger along the travel path.16. The video game controller of claim 14, wherein the trigger stop ismovable linearly in a direction generally transverse to the travel pathof the trigger.
 17. The video game controller of claim 14, wherein thetrigger stop is rotatable between the first position and a secondposition about a second axis different than the first axis.
 18. Thevideo game controller of claim 14, wherein the trigger-stop includes alever that extends through an opening in the housing, the leverconfigured to be engaged by a user to move the trigger-stop between thefirst position and the second position.
 19. The video game controller ofclaim 14, further comprising a sensor configured to detect a position ofthe trigger along the travel path and configured to generate a signalrepresentative of a trigger position, the sensor configured tocommunicate with the processor.
 20. The video game controller of claim14, wherein movement of the trigger stop between the first position andthe second position simultaneously actuates the electrical switchbetween the first mode and second mode.